I'll try to make this a short thread for 1 specific issue that remains.

1) All the images I'm uploading are 1024x681 or slightly larger (other examples 1024x683/1024x744/1024x768/1067x1600-vertical image)
2) I set my Column width = 700
3) I set my Full size 700 x 500
4) I clicked resize on upload before uploading

They should all be the same size in the gallery, right? 700x500?
The differences are small; some are vertically larger, some horizontally smaller.
It actually may look perfectly fine this way; gives the viewer a slightly different focus for their eyes.

But, the question is why? I think they should all be forced to be the same size because of the settings.

As i told you before, the aspect ratio is kept as an unchangeable property of each photo within wppa+.

The photos are downsized (never up-sized) to fit within the (in your case) 700 x 500 rectangle, so either they are exactly 700 x (something less than or equal to 500) or they are (something less than or equal to 700) x 500 pixels.